Media coverage of sea-level rise: Are we approaching a tipping point?

Over the past two weeks or so, there has been significant media coverage of sea-level rise.

The Miami-Herald had a story about how rising sea levels could affect real estate values here. The Miami-Herald also has a week-long series on sea-level rise and Florida called “Elevation: Zero.” The series discusses sea-level rise projections, real estate values, tidal flooding, and infrastructure issues with drainage, canals, and roads, among other topics.

Public Radio in Florida has also aired numerous stories about sea-level rise during the week from November 7 to November 13, 2013.

All these news stories come on top of the Rolling Stone article “Goodbye, Miami” that came out in June of this year.

With so much news coverage, it appears that the reality of past sea-level rise and the projections for significantly more rise in the future has reached a tipping point: sea-level rise is no longer a fringe topic or dismissed as nothing more than a theoretical issue. Now it is time for that awareness to spread far beyond southeastern part of Florida so that other areas can begin conversations about how to adapt to rising seas.